EcoWaste Coalition is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions
to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.

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27 February 2015

With the onset of the annual “Fire
Prevention Month,” an environmental watchdog promoting chemical safety and zero
waste alerted the public about the danger of being exposed to fire smoke.

“Smoke from fires, which is made up of chemicals and particles from burning
materials, is hazardous to health and should be avoided,” said Aileen Lucero,
Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Depending on what is burning, which is often a combination of mixed combustible
materials, the smoke can cause or even worsen health problems, particularly for
young children, the elderly and persons with heart and respiratory conditions
and those with chemical sensitivities,” she said.

The EcoWaste Coalition aired the warning in support of the fire safety campaign
being undertaken by the Department of Interior and Local Government – Bureau of
Fire Protection (DILG-BFP).

“Besides reminding our communities to prevent fire at home or workplace through
good housekeeping, we find it necessary for the public to be informed about the
need to avoid exposure to smoke when there is a fire,” Lucero observed.

“Oftentimes, we see victims and spectators standing close to the fire scene and
directly breathing in the toxic smoke,” she added.

Aside from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and dust particles or soot, smoke
may contain a variety of air pollutants, including acid
gases, benzene, heavy metals, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide and persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins,
which are formed when materials containing chlorine are burned, the EcoWaste
Coalition said.

According to the World Health Organization, “air pollutants have been
linked to a range of adverse health effects, including respiratory infections,
cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.”
Exposure to smoke can have immediate effects such as coughing, a harsh throat,
irritated sinuses, headaches, nausea, runny nose and tearing eyes, while those
with heart conditions may experience chest pain, fatigue, rapid heartbeat and
shortness of breath.

In a bid to reduce the negative health consequences
of exposure to smoke, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the public to consider the
following health and safety suggestions:

1. Stay away from the fire source, take precautions and avoid exposure to
intense and even to low or moderate smoke.

2. If you are within a safe distance from a burning building, factory or
residence requiring no evacuation, stay indoors and shut the doors and windows
to prevent smoke from entering your place.

3. Switch off the air conditioner until the air quality outside has
improved.

4. If you need to go outside, find a suitable respiratory protection to
minimize exposure to harmful gases and particles, bearing in mind that
bandannas, handkerchiefs or dust masks may not be effective in filtering out
very fine particles.

5. Refrain from cigarette smoking, which can only exacerbate pollution in
the fire area.

“We hope that our fire fighters as well as rescue volunteers are properly supported
with tools to keep them safe from pollution hazards inherent in their
life-saving job,” Lucero said.

“It’s also important for the public to follow the instructions from the crowd
control authorities and keep the streets and alleys accessible to the fire
respondents,” she added.
-end-

24 February 2015

The EcoWaste
Coalition, a chemical safety and zero waste advocacy group, has cautioned the
public against using unregistered insect killers after finding six brands
of household insecticides with cypermethrin as an active ingredient.

Taking its cue from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) which recently
ordered the seizure of cypermethrin-containing Baolilai, Big Bie Pai and
Tianshi aerosol insecticides, the EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol went to
Divisoria and Santa Cruz, Manila last Friday and Saturday to look for
similar insecticides imported from China that are illegally sold without
authorization from the FDA.

“Apart from finding aerosol insect killers already forbidden by the FDA, we
found six other brands of cypermethrin-containing insecticides that should be
banned and taken off store shelves without delay,” said Thony Dizon,
Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

These six brands of imported household insecticides, sold for P75 to P90
each and packaged in tall colorful aerosol cans with net weight of 750 ml
and with cypermethrin content ranging from 0.05% to 0.15% as stated on the
labels, include Angel Insecticide Aerosol, Boclliai Aerosol Insecticide,
Kingever Aerosol Insecticide, Kingever Insect Killer, Power Boss Aerosol
Insecticide and Txaksi Insect Killer.

In addition, the EcoWaste Coalition also found three variants of Brother
Powerful Insecticide with no cypermethrin content, but like the
above-mentioned insecticides had no FDA market authorization.

The group yesterday alerted the FDA of its findings through an e-mail.

“The public should know that these insecticides are dangerous to human and
environmental health and should desist from bringing them into their
homes where these products can present real hazard, especially to young
children,” Dizon said.

Dizon sought the cooperation of the Bureau of Customs to prevent the entry of
such dangerous insecticides into the country’s ports as he called upon
importers and retailers to abide by the law and discontinue the illicit trade.

Cypermethrin, according to the FDA advisory, “is a broad spectrum insecticide
which kills target and non-target beneficial insects as well as susceptible
animals, especially aquatic organisms.”

“Effects on test animals include, but are not limited to, reduced fertility and
reproductive rate, carcinogenic and co-carcinogenic effects through topical
route, and systemic genotoxicity in mammals as it causes DNA damage in vital
organs,” the FDA said.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has classified cypermethrin as a
possible human carcinogen.

According to a fact sheet published by the Pesticide Action Network Asia and
the Pacific (PANAP), cypermethrin is the "most frequent child chronic
pesticide exposure in UK," "children have been poisoned in
Nicaragua and Mexico"and that "death from contaminated food has
occurred."

In the Philippines, the UP National Poison Management and Control Center
reported that a three-year old boy accidentally sprayed himself in August
2014 with Big Bie Pai insecticide and experienced abdominal pain, diarrhea
and vomiting.

As for its environmental effects, cypermethrin is highly toxic to fish, algae
and aquatic invertebrates, as well as to bees, beneficial insects and
earthworms, the PANAP said, adding that in terms of environmental fate
cypermethrin is a severe marine pollutant, is persistent in soil and has the
potential for bio-accumulation.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a chemical safety and zero waste watchdog, sounded the
alarm over the unrestricted sale of smuggled cosmetics in Divisoria and Quiapo
following a recent market investigation in Manila’s must-visit places for
bargain hunters.

Prompted by a fresh advisory issued by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA)
on three lipsticks and whitening spray with high lead content, the group’s
AlerToxic Patrol last week obtained 35 samples of lipsticks costing P12.50 to
P50 each from one department store and seven cosmetics retailers in the area.

“We verified through the FDA’s website if the lipsticks had the required market
authorization and found out that most are not notified with the agency and
therefore not authorized to be in the market,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator,
EcoWaste Coalition.

Notified cosmetics carry the following information in English on the
product label, package or leaflet: name, ingredients, net
content, instruction on usage, batch number, special precautions
if any, and country of manufacture and/or importer.

In addition, the group expressed concern over the sale of the more expensive
“Class A” imitations of high-end lipstick brands, particularly in Divisoria.

“The booming sale of illegal cosmetics is very alarming with the culprits
enjoying virtual impunity. This is frightening as some of these products
are laden with dangerous chemicals posing serious health and environmental
hazards,” she added.

“Some lipsticks are terribly toxic with astronomical amounts of lead, a potent
brain and developmental toxin,” she pointed out.

For example, the group detected atrocious levels of lead, over and above the 20
parts per million (ppm) limit under the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive, in several
Baolishi and Monaliza lipsticks in the range of 2,278 to 17,100 ppm
as measured by a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer.

Baolishi and Monaliza are among the 36
lipsticks ordered seized by the FDA in three advisories issued in 2013, 2014
and 2015 for exceeding the lead limit or for being marketed without the
required authorization from the agency. Thirty-three of these 36 lipsticks
were brought to the attention of the FDA by the EcoWaste Coalition
and subsequently banned.

The FDA had earlier warned that lipsticks with no market authorization “may contain high levels of heavy metals, especially lead, a proven
toxicant that accumulates in the body through constant exposure and absorption
over a prolonged period.”

“ Health problems through chronic ingestion of high level of lead in lipsticks
may manifest as neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and
renal problems,” the FDA warned.

“In adults, lead toxicant has been linked with high blood pressure, joint pain,
poor memory, and concentration problems. Lead easily crosses the placenta, and
pregnant women should pay particular attention to the different sources of lead
exposure,” the FDA said.The EcoWaste Coalition last Friday sent 10
lipstick samples to the FDA for confirmatory laboratory analysis for toxic lead
and mercury.

18 February 2015

“A recent study on plastic
wastes generated by coastal countries and entering the oceans should serve as a
wake up call to the Philippine government, the industry, and the public in
general after the report ranked the country 3rd.”

Zero waste and anti-plastic
bag campaign network EcoWaste Coalition released this statement to the media
today in relation to a study, “Plastic waste inputs from land
into the ocean”, which
was published in the journal Science
last week.

The report which placed
Philippines 3rd highest plastic waste generator had China at the top
followed by Indonesia.

According to the study authors, “Population size and
the quality of waste management systems largely determine which countries
contribute the greatest mass of uncaptured waste available to become plastic
marine debris.”

“This is what we’ve been talking about for
years now!,” exclaimed Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste
Coalition.

“Almost fifteen years of
poor implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) and
unheeded calls for national ban on the undoubtedly problematic and persistent
plastic bags apparently helped a lot in putting the country at the 3rd
place in the study’s embarrassing list,” added Lucero.

"We are a nation of
seafarers and fishers, not sea destroyers polluting the oceans with plastics
and toxics," she said.

In 2014, during the follow up to their 2006 and 2010 waste audits of the Manila Bay, EcoWaste Coalition,
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace, and Mother Earth
Foundation still found that plastics topped the list of the bay’s marine debris
at 61.9%; of this, 23.2% are plastic bags.

The
same group’s waste audits in 2006 and 2010 yielded similar results: among
plastic products, plastic bags were the main garbage contributor in terms of
volume, comprising 51.4 and 27.7 percent, respectively, of the debris in Manila
Bay.

On a global scale, the “Plastic
waste inputs from land into the ocean” study has calculated that
plastic debris reaching the oceans from 192 coastal countries in 2010 was
somewhere between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons. The amount came from what
the report estimated as “275 million metric tons (MT) of plastic waste
generated in said coastal countries that year.”

Dr. Jenna Jambeck of the University of
Georgia,
the study’s lead author, said in a news report
in a more visual way that “the quantity entering the ocean is equal to about
five plastic grocery bags full of plastic for every foot of coastline in the
world.”

The study suggests that some 17.5
million tonnes a year, that is 155 million tonnes between now and then, could
be entering the oceans by 2025 if nothing is done to check the situation.

Whether we have a clear
picture of the magnitude of the frightening impact of this marine plastic
pollution, Kara Lavender Law, co-author of the study, frankly said in an
interview with Science: “I don’t think we can conceive of the worst-case
scenario. We really don’t know what this plastic is doing.”

Another co-author of the study, Roland
Geyer, said that to clean the oceans of plastic was not likely; the only
solution was "turning off the tap".

The EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, commended the Quezon City Chinatown Business Association, Inc. (QCCBAI) for opting not to explode firecrackers and fireworks to welcome the Year of the Green Wooden Sheep tonight.

“We laud the QCCBAI for its decision to usher in the Lunar New Year with torotot instead of firecrackers that generate hazardous air pollutants and residual solid waste,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Blowing up firecracker can make air pollution soar to hazard levels as we have seen during the last New Year’s revelry,” she said.

Citing data released by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Lucero said that particulate matter PM 10 and PM 25 rose to dangerous levels in some monitoring stations in Metro Manila.

For example, PM 10 was measured from 12 midnight to 1:00 am of January 1, 2015 at 2,000 and 1,988 micrograms per normal cubic meter at the DENR’s monitoring stations in Las Piñas and Marikina Cities, respectively, way above the National Ambient Guideline Value of 60 mg/ncm for PM 10.

“We hope that other business establishments and associations will follow QCCBAI’s eco-decision and do away with toxic firecrackers and fireworks,” she said.

According to Willy Coyukiat, President of QCCBAI: “The celebration does not only aim to strengthen the relationship between the Chinese and the Filipino people, but above all begin an advocacy of banning fireworks during Christmas, New Year and other special occasions toavoid environmental degradation and pollution.”

As an alternative to firecrackers, the QCCBAI will hold a "Torotot Festival" and give cash rewards to lucky participants with the most creative torotot.

16 February 2015

PHOTOS: Mercury-laden skin whitening cosmetics on sale in Mindanao (above), and the top ten products with highest concentrations of mercury (below).

A toxics
watchdog group today urged the chief executives of 12 cities in Mindanao to
clamp down on the unlawful trade of contraband cosmetics containing mercury
that is taking place right under their noses.

In a press release, the Quezon City-based EcoWaste Coalition exhorted the
mayors of the Cities of Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, General Santos,
Koronadal, Iligan, Malaybalay, Marawi, Tacurong,
Tagum, Valencia and Zamboanga to assist the national government in purging the
market of dangerous cosmetics, particularly skin whitening creams with
excessive mercury content.

The illegal trade of mercury-laden skin whitening cosmetics is rife in most of
these cities and are often sold in retail outlets such as herbal and
beauty product stores, Chinese drug stores and general
merchandise stores just a stone’s throw away from the City Halls, the
group observed.

“We appeal to the good mayors to seize the dangerous goods and castigate
unscrupulous traders to protect their constituents and the environment from the
toxic effects of mercury,” she said.

The Food and Drugs Administration, in line with the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive,
has set 1 part per million (ppm) as the allowable limit of mercury in
cosmetics. Since 2010, the FDA has banned 116 skin whitening products for
their mercury content or for being sold without the required market
authorization from the agency.

To ascertain the prevalence of illegally traded mercury cosmetics in the country,
the EcoWaste Coalition deployed its “AlerToxic Patrollers” to 50 cities in
Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region from November 9, 2014
to February 2, 2015.

Out of the 355 samples of skin whitening cosmetics procured and screened for
mercury using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, 316 were found to
contain mercury above 1 ppm. 139 of the 355 samples were from Mindanao
with 110 of the 139 testing positive for mercury.

The top 10 samples from Mindanao with the highest concentrations of
mercury include:

1. Xuefujiaolan Herbal Whitening and Embellish Classic Set (3 small jars)
from CDO, with 96,100 ppm of mercury

9. S'Zitang 10 Days Whitening & Spot Day Night Set from Zamboanga,
with 5,092 ppm of mercury

10. Erna Whitening Cream from General Santos, with 5,012 ppm of mercury

The high levels of mercury in these contraband cosmetics pose a
significant health risk to users and non-users, including children and women of
child-bearing age who are most prone to the toxic effects of mercury, the group
warned.

According to the report “Beauty and the Risk” published by the EcoWaste
Coalition, users of mercury-containing skin whitening cosmetics may experience skin
discoloration, rashes and scarring and reduced skin’s resistance to bacterial
and fungal infections, while repeated applications can cause damage to the
brain, the nervous system and the kidneys.For non-users, the report,
citing a US health advisory, said that “the mercury spreads from the
hands of anyone using the cream to other things they touch (and) then gets into
the air and anyone in the home can breathe it in.”

15 February 2015

A watchdog group for chemical safety and
zero waste has reminded consumers to be careful when buying lucky charms and
enhancers after finding some items laden with toxic chemicals.

In a bid to promote consumer awareness on hazardous chemicals in products, the
EcoWaste Coalition over the weekend bought 20 Chinese New Year good luck charms
and ornaments and had them screened for toxic metals using a portable
X-Ray-Fluorescence (XRF) device.

The samples, costing P20 to P250 each, were procured from specialty stores and
sidewalk vendors in Binondo and Quiapo, Manila.

As per XRF screening, 13 of the 20 samples were found to contain elevated
quantities of lead, arsenic and chromium, 3 had high levels of antimony and 1
had excessive amount of cadmium , the EcoWaste Coalition reported.

Arsenic, cadmium and lead are among the “top ten chemicals of major public
health concern” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Exposure to these toxic metals has been associated with
a range of health issues from reproductive disorders, birth defects,
developmental delays, hormonal imbalances, heart ailments, neurological
problems to cancers,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s
Project Protect.

“Lead exposure, in particular, has been linked to aggressive, delinquent and
destructive behavior,” said Dizon, citing studies connecting childhood lead
exposure to crime and violence later in life.

“Ironically, many Filipinos unsuspectingly buy such potentially dangerous lucky
charms and amulets for good health and for long, trouble-free life,” he
added.

“None of the items analyzed had complete product labeling information, including
chemical information to warn buyers of possible chemical hazards,” he noted.

Dizon attributed the toxicity of most samples to the use of leaded paint,
particularly on the yellow coatings with lead exceeding the 90 parts per
million (ppm) limit for lead in paint and surface coatings under the US
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

He noted that all the items with high levels of lead also
had high levels of arsenic and chromium.

“While not originally made for children’s use, it’s not improbable for lucky
charms and amulets to get into the hands of a curious kid who may bite, mouth
or even accidentally ingest the toxic items, some which, like the lucky coins,
are small enough to be swallowed,” he said.

Health experts had warned that lead exposure among children even at low levels
can interrupt and damage brain development and cause lifelong learning and
behavioral problems, while exposure among adults can bring about miscarriage in
women, reduced sperm count in men, hypertension and other health problems.

The top seven "unlucky charms" with the highest lead content include:

1. A “Lucky Dragon Amulet” with Chinese character to bring good fortune,
with 7,920 ppm.

A colorful set of “Three Wise Men” figurines had varying levels of lead.
On the other hand, three “good luck” goat figurines had no detectable
lead, indicating the viability of making lucky charms without harmful lead.

Alternatively, Filipinos who are planning to welcome the Chinese New Year of
the Green Wooden Sheep may wish to try safer ways of attracting good energy,
fortune and health, he said, including praying hard and working harder, and
boosting good karma by doing good deeds.

14 February 2015

An environmental group based in Quezon
City has appealed to the Cebu City Government to take action against vendors of
contraband cosmetics laden with mercury, a toxic chemical.

Through a press release, the EcoWaste Coalition requested the office
of Cebu Mayor Michael Rama to help the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in
enforcing the prohibition against the sale of skin whitening cosmetics with
mercury content exceeding 1 part per million (ppm).

Citing information from the World Health Organization, Lucero said that human
exposure to mercury in skin whitening products may cause “kidney damage, skin
rashes, skin discoloration and scarring, as well as a reduction in the skin’s
resistance to bacterial and fungal infections.”

The group last Thursday released a report entitled “Beauty and the Risk,”
indicating the unrestrained sale of mercury-tainted skin whitening products in
50 cities across the country, including Cebu and Lapu-Lapu Cities.

Out of the 355 samples procured by the group from Baguio to Zamboanga, 25 were
obtained from Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, mostly from beauty product stores and general
merchandise stores in Colon St. The FDA had already banned most of
these products and would be illegal to sell.

Subsequent analysis of the samples using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device detected
mercury above 1 ppm in 316 samples. All samples from Cebu were found
laced with mercury up to 5,969 ppm. Of the 25 samples from Cebu, 22 had
mercury above 1,000 ppm.

The EcoWaste Coalition expressed optimism that the new data would prompt the
Cebu City Council into fast tracking its deliberation and approval of a
proposed ordinance authored by Councilor
Nida Cabrera to curb the illegal trade of cosmetics laced with toxic mercury in
the city.

“The proposed measure, we believe, would deter unscrupulous traders from selling
smuggled cosmetics that could put the health and safety of Cebuanos at grave
risk,” Lucero added.

The said draft ordinance, if adopted, would prohibit the following:

“a) The manufacture, importation, marketing and promotion, distribution and sale
of cosmetics with mercury in excess of 1 ppm as set by the FDA.”

“b) The sale, wholesale or retail, of cosmetics that have not been authorized
by the FDA as required by R.A. 9711.”

“c) The sale, wholesale or retail, of cosmetics that have not complied with the
labeling requirements implemented by the FDA.”

About Me

is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.